Avner Faingulernt
- Director
- Writer
- Cinematographer
Avner Faingulernt was born in Bror Hayil Kibbutz, as most residents
are, to Brazilian immigrants. His parents came from Rio de Janeiro in
1955. He studied in Sha'ar HaNegev Regional Council high school and
worked at the agricultural fields. Like many other Kibbutz youth
Faingulernt chose to do a service year as a regional coordinator in
Sha'ar HaNegev Regional Council and in Sderot. In 1981 he was recruited
to the Isreali Defence Forces to the commando squad of Sayeret Matkal
special ops unit. After his army he wandered for five years in Israel
and all over world. Among other occupations he worked as a Truck Driver
and of lighting and camera gear on movie sets and as a fisherman in New
York. According to him, his exposure to film making and especially his
job as a lighting best boy filled him with great love towards cinema,
and especially for Documentary film making. In 1990 he began his
studies of Cinema and Psychology in the Tel Aviv University, where he
also directed his first movies. In 1992, at the time of birth of his
first daughter, he returned to the Kibbutz where he was born and raised
and dedicated himself to establishing a local education system, with
intent to provide an ideal environment for his and his friends'
children. Afterwards he worked as a director of documentaries
reportages for the show "Ha'She'elah Ha'ba'ah" on Keshet Broadcasting,
produced by Yaron London and Nurit Kedar. In 1997 he directed and
produced his first documentary film, along with Maya Bar, _Rishon
Yiheyeh Aharon (1997)_qv. The following stage in his life was to return
living and working in the south of Israel creating his unique cinematic
language. In 1999 he established an independent studio for documentary
and experimental film making in Bror Hayil, and worked then in
collaboration with Macabit Abramson and Lev Goltzer on his following
films. He was among the founders of the School of Audio & Visual Arts
in Sapir Academic College and has been the head of it since 2001. He
initiated and founded the Cinema South Festival in Sderot, the Cinema
South Notebooks and the Cinema South The Curator Book, which are
journals that offer a stage for articles and discussions regarding
film. He completed his PhD studies in London.